115: Administering the Drug

Actually, Yichen found her words quite annoying and pulled her hand away. "No."

"Yichen," Anna’s eyes welled up with mist. "I know. I know that you will forget me at any moment. I know that no matter what I do or how much I give, to you, I am nothing more than a month of memories. To you, I will always be a stranger. Yet, I still insist on making things difficult for myself. You didn't ask for my help, but I couldn't help but come to your aid, to appear before the media for you, but you..."

"I'm sorry!"

The two cold, flat words made Anna feel even worse.

Watching the woman before him tear up, Yichen felt nothing, but he didn’t want to owe her anything. "I’ll treat you to dinner tomorrow night."

Did he really want to have nothing to do with her that badly?

Anna gave a bitter smile. "Fine, I'll be waiting for you."

#

After work, Yiyang took Xiao Qi out for something delicious. As they reached the car, Xiao Qi was just about to get in when she saw Yichen get out of his car and walk toward her.

Seeing this, Yiyang immediately stepped out and blocked her path. "What are you doing?"

Yichen shoved his hands into his pockets, his face expressionless. "I have something to say to her."

Yiyang was quite afraid of his brother’s black-belt skills, so he glanced sideways at Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi wanted to run the moment she saw him, but then she remembered the signal device. "Um, didn't we make everything clear today? What else is there to say? Besides," she added, not forgetting to regain some ground, "it’s not you driving me away now; it’s that I don't want to deal with you." She turned her gaze away proudly.

"I have something to tell you," Yichen said, looking at her coldly. "If you don't listen, then don't bother coming to TC tomorrow."

"..."

Damn it. A fake, power-abusing, annoying capitalist.

But if she wanted to get the signal device back...

"Fine, I'll give you a chance, but I’m going to dinner with Yiyang now, I don't have time—"

"Then tomorrow night."

Having dropped the line, Yichen turned and walked toward his car.

Rude capitalist! I didn't even agree yet!

"Yiyang, that guy is so smug, I really want to punch him."

"..."

Yiyang watched Yichen’s car drive away before saying, "I’ve had that thought since we were kids."

Xiao Qi looked at him for a few seconds and then burst out laughing. "How about we team up and beat him up tomorrow?"

Yiyang immediately shook his head. "Unless you don't want to survive at TC—no, survive in A City. And I guarantee you, even if we team up, the outcome will be us getting beaten into pulp."

"..."

Xiao Qi looked at him with disdain. "Yiyang, how can you boost others' morale and diminish your own? I totally despise you."

"..."

Yiyang looked at her sharply. "Xiyang, are you afraid to face my brother alone, so you’re specifically suggesting we team up?"

"That's not it at all!" Xiao Qi said, composed. "Are you kidding? Would I be afraid of him?"

She could blast him away with a single superpower.

Wait—her powers didn't work on him.

#

Xiao Qi didn't eat much this time; when one has a heavy heart, there is no appetite.

Yiyang didn't say anything either; in truth, his own mind was in a mess.

So, after a few bites of steak, Yiyang drove her back.

Xiao Qi walked into her room, lost in thought, and sat down on the sofa.

Suddenly, Xiao Bai let out a yelp.

Xiao Qi was startled.

"Xiao Qi, you sat on my tail."

"..."

"Aren't you supposed to sleep on the bed? Why are you sleeping here?" Xiao Qi picked up Xiao Bai and stroked its tail.

Xiao Bai snorted coldly. "You were the one distracted, don't blame me."

"I'm thinking about that capitalist," Xiao Qi said, looking completely baffled. "Isn't he dying to have me stay as far away from him as possible? And I said such harsh things to him today, so why would he still ask me out?"

"Did I make him so angry that it caused him to remember me?"

"Do you think human brains are balloons? You just inflate them and they work? That Earthling already broke up with you; he definitely just wants to see you one last time to settle things!" Fearing she would sit on its tail again, Xiao Bai jumped onto the bed.

Xiao Qi didn't quite understand. "Settle things? Settle what?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Xiao Bai wagged its tail haughtily. "Before breaking up, human men and women always have a final reckoning. They argue about what needs to be argued, curse what needs to be cursed, and some even cry into each other's arms! Anyway, they have to settle what they owe each other before they can split. It’s the ritual of human breakups."

"But I don't owe him anything!" She suddenly remembered she still owed him 100,000, and there was even an IOU. But he had amnesia now, so he must have forgotten the 100,000, which meant she didn't have to pay it back.

Thinking of this, Xiao Qi started to smile, but the smile faded before it could fully bloom, leaving her face looking a bit lonely.

Sigh! Actually, she would rather owe him that 100,000. The old Lin Yichen... he was filled with love for her!

Xiao Bai said, "You don't owe him anything, so if he asks you out, you must go. He still owes you the signal device! You’ve broken up now; if you don't get that device back, you’ll never have a chance again. Even if you’re at TC, you won't have an excuse to get close to him."

Xiao Qi tucked away her melancholy thoughts and sighed. "You think I can get the signal device just by showing up? He hates me so much now that his heart won't even beat faster for me. If I can't trigger that, I can't feel the device, and if I try to extract it forcefully, I’ll hurt him."

"We can't stay here forever, though," Xiao Bai said, suddenly struck by an idea. "I've got it! Potency pills! These are the ultimate treasure for men. As long as he takes this, his heart will definitely beat fast all day long."

"Potency pills?" Xiao Qi had never heard of them and was skeptical. "Is this reliable? Will it cause any physical harm?"

"This is the number one advertisement on the internet. Colorless, odorless, and harmless. Human advertisements wouldn't lie, right?" Xiao Bai patted its chest with its paw. "And I certainly wouldn't lie."

Xiao Qi pondered for a moment and finally nodded. "Then let's try it."

The next day, when work ended, Yichen called her office phone, saying he had some work left to finish.

And so...

Night fell like a curtain, and A City was a blaze of bustling neon.

In an upscale French restaurant, Yichen sat at a window-side table.

This was the best seat in the entire restaurant, offering a panoramic view of the night scenery.

Xiao Qi hadn't expected him to bring her to such a high-end, beautiful restaurant.

Xiao Qi sat down. The stars were brilliant and the lights were bright, but at this moment, she only saw the starlight in the eyes of the man before her.

Something seemed to be quietly spreading within her heart.

Xiao Qi bit her lip; for some reason, her eyes suddenly felt hot.

She lowered her head to hide it, telling herself: Hey, what's wrong with you? Why are you being so sentimental all of a sudden?

A waiter walked over. "Would the two of you like to order now?"

"No need, just bring two drinks."

"Very well."

The cold tone of the man opposite her pulled Xiao Qi out of her sentimental mood.

Sigh, in the past, he would have tried every way to bring you to a restaurant like this, and you would have ruined it every time.

Now that he has forgotten you, he brings you to a place like this, and you regret the past.

This is probably what they mean by not cherishing what you have until it's lost.

But she didn't really have any regrets, because she was Xiao Qi, an alien. From start to finish, he wasn't really in love with her anyway, so there was nothing to regret or mourn.

Thinking of this, Xiao Qi flashed a charming smile at him. "Mr. Lin, what did you want to see me about?"

Yichen looked at her coldly and asked directly, "How far have things progressed between you and Yiyang?"

Huh? Why was he asking this?

Xiao Qi was a bit dazed and instinctively shook her head. "No progress..." Then, realizing what he meant, she crossed her arms and said, "What does it have to do with you how things are between Yiyang and me? We've broken up now, so you have no right to question my affairs."

"Yiyang is my brother," Yichen’s voice was cold and low. "So I have the right to ask. Tell me, what is your true motive for getting close to Yiyang?"

He had taken Qiao Anna’s words to heart, at least to some extent.

Although he felt differently about the person in front of him than he did about others, there was no concrete evidence of anything, and since it concerned his brother, he naturally had to be more inquisitive.

As for why he brought her to this restaurant, he didn't know himself.

He tossed these unclear emotions aside.

He already suffered from amnesia; if he allowed these messy emotions to sway him, he would be exhausted to death.

"You really are inexplicable," Xiao Qi said, getting angry at his words. "What motive could I possibly have for being with Yiyang?"

"He is my brother," Yichen said coldly, "and you are someone I dislike. Therefore, I don't like you being with my brother."

Damn, what kind of logic is that? You dislike me? I don't like you either!

Xiao Qi tilted her head up slightly. "He’s your brother, not mine. So what business is it of yours if I’m with him?"

"He is my family. You are using my family to get to me, and you think I have no say?" Yichen said, somewhat aggressively. "Yiyang is different from you. He doesn't have your schemes, so stay away from him."

"What? Schemes?" Xiao Qi was so angry she laughed. "You really are an ignorant narcissist. Yiyang and I are friends; how does that translate to me getting to you? Besides, if I wanted to get to you, I wouldn't need Yiyang. I’m enough on my own. What does Yiyang have to do with any of this?"

For some reason, hearing her say that, a trace of joy welled up in Yichen’s heart.

But he kept his face indifferent. "I didn't invite you out to chat about nonsense. Tell me, what exactly do you want? As long as you say it, I will satisfy you. The condition is that you never get close to me or Yiyang again."

Xiao Qi felt the urge to explode and slap him whenever he spoke.

She lifted her pink lips, giving a casual yet charming smile. "If you want to drive me away, you don't need to use Yiyang as an excuse. Once I get my things, I’ll leave. By then, you won't be able to keep me even if you wanted to!"

When Yichen heard the word "leave," a spot near his heart felt uncomfortable. He felt he needed to resolve this quickly.

"Tell me, what is that thing you want? As long as I have it, I will definitely give it to you."